Equatorial Group is implementing nanotechnology to track electrical cables in Rio Grande do Sul, achieving a 55% reduction in asset theft and strengthening the fight against the fencing of stolen goods.
The pursuit of technological solutions to curb vandalism and theft of power grid assets has gained a strategic boost at Equatorial Group. Following a period of studies and validation, the company has scaled up the use of nanotechnology to mark its cables and equipment, ensuring that the material has a unique identity, easily verifiable by security agents.
The initiative, which gained operational momentum in early 2026 in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, already protects over 3 kilometers of the grid. The central objective is to eliminate impunity in the illegal trade of copper and metal components, facilitating police work by scientifically proving the origin of items seized during inspections.
Practical Results and Crime Fighting
The implementation of this technology has yielded significant numbers for Rio Grande do Sul’s energy infrastructure. In just a few months of operation, 38 integrated actions with police authorities have led to the seizure of approximately 1.48 tons of metallic wires and 43 criminal citations.
More than just seizures, the most significant statistic is the 55% drop in theft incidents. While Equatorial Group emphasizes that this result is part of an ecosystem combining intelligence, patrolling, and the new tracking technology, the marking system has been crucial in dismantling the fencing network.
Innovation is an important ally for Equatorial in protecting infrastructure essential to society. By using nanotechnology to enhance the identification and traceability of our assets, we strengthen our prevention and investigation capabilities and contribute to even more integrated action with security forces.
Expansion and the Future of Monitoring
The asset security strategy is not expected to be limited to the Southern region. The company’s plan is ambitious and includes expanding the technology to Maranhão, with the goal of covering all of the group’s distribution companies by 2028.
An important step in this expansion will be marking materials at the Distribution Centers (DCs). With this measure, cables will arrive at warehouses already tracked, allowing Equatorial Energia to monitor the asset from storage to its installation in the field, ensuring full control over the equipment’s lifecycle.
This technology acts as a link between asset monitoring and the continuity of energy supply. By mitigating theft, the company reduces service interruptions caused by vandalism, protecting the power grid and ensuring that infrastructure investments remain at the service of the population.
